Cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus comprises: a base, a platform, a feeding mechanism having at least three axis feeding means, a movable holder, a cutting means, a transplanting means, and a CCD image capturing means. The platform having the CCD image capturing means therebottom is disposed onto the base, and on the platform is defined with the holder for receiving a plurality of loading trays, so as to the original cell colonies and a plurality of media boards of subculture can be placed on the loading trays of holder, the holder can displace from a first axis feeding means and a second axis feeding means of feeding mechanism to moveably align with a first axis and a second axis. In addition, the cutting means and the transplanting means respectively capable of vertically move along a third axis feeding means of feeding mechanism are arranged onto the base, wherein the cutting means is provided with an array of invertable blades, and the transplanting means is defined with a bent capture needle for capturing the cell masses, whereby enabling to use operational analysis of controller to precisely cut, capture and pickedly place the original cell colonies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus that can use automatization equipment to precisely cut, capture and pickedly place the original cell colonies, so as to decrease the infection probability.

2. Description of the Prior Arts

Nowadays, the molecular biotechnology is generally applied in human disease researches, especially in the human embryonic stem cells studyings. Hence, mass-produce of said human embryonic stem cells for medical usages is an indispensable study in the molecular biotechnology industry.

A conventional culturing method of human embryonic stem cells as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of original cell colonies 1 cultured on trophoblast cell of a media disk 2 for forming subculture. At this step, the biotechnology worker needs to dissect the reproduced cell colonies 1 by using a glass knife, and then pickedly places a plurality of undifferentiated cell masses 3 onto the trophoblast cell of a new media disk 4 for further culture. However, this conventional culturing method still has some defects, for example, the culturing space and production may be limited, and the cells may easy to be differentiated and infected.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus, wherein a movable holder for receiving a plurality of loading trays is disposed onto a base and can displace from a first axis feeding means and a second axis feeding means to moveably align with a first axis and a second axis; in addition, a cutting means and a transplanting means respectively capable of vertically move along two third axis feeding means are arranged onto the base, wherein the cutting means is provided with an array of invertable blades, and the transplanting means is defined with a bent capture needle for capturing the cell masses, whereby enabling to use the cutting means to dissect the original cell colonies into a plurality of cell masses, and then pickedly place said cell masses onto a plurality of media boards of subculture, while said cell colonies and the media boards of subculture are placed onto the loading trays of holder, so as to precisely cut, capture and pickedly place the cell colonies.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus, wherein a platform having a CCD image capturing means therebottom is disposed onto the base, by means of the holder, the original cell colonies and the media boards of subculture can be moved onto the CCD image capturing means to capture their images, and then by using the operational analysis of controller, the cutting position of cutting means will be accurately modified to dissect the original cell colonies into a plurality cell masses, thereafter, said cell masses will be placed to the media boards of subculture such that the original cell colonies can be precisely cut, captured and pickedly placed.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional dissection and transplantation of cell colonies;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cutting means for the cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the array blades for the cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an operational view of the array blades for the cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a transplanting means for the cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a capture needle for the cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an amplified view of a part of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 2, a cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus in accordance with the present invention is shown and comprises a base 10, two first axis (X-axis) feeding means 11

18, a second axis (Y-axis) feeding means 12, a movable holder 13, two loading trays 14

15, a plurality of media boards 16

17, a cutting means 19, a transplanting means 20, two third axis feeding means 21

22, an auxiliary platform 23.

By using the first axis (X-axis) feeding means 11 and the second axis (Y-axis) feeding means 12, the holder 13 can be couplingly driven on the base 10, so as to move in X-axis and Y-axis directions. The two loading trays 14

15 are respectively mounted onto the holder 13, wherein the loading tray 14 serves to receive the media boards 16 of cell colonies, while the loading tray 15 is applied to receive the media boards 17 of subculture. Moreover, by using the first axis (X-axis) feeding means 18, the cutting means 19 and the transplanting means 20 both can be couplingly driven on the base 10, so as to cause a movement above the two loading trays 14

15 in X-axis direction. The cutting means 19 and the transplanting means 20 can also be respectively driven by means of two third axis (Z-axis) feeding means 21

22, so as to cause a vertical movement above the two loading trays 14

15 in Z-axis direction. For the precision dissections of original cell colonies, the platform 23 having a CCD image capturing means therebottom is arranged onto the base 10, and then by using the holder 13, the media boards 16 of original cell colonies can be pickedly placed onto the CCD image capturing means to cause a CCD image capture, thereafter, by using operational analysis of controller, the cutting means 19 can be accurately moved onto the original cell colonies to cause a precision dissection.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cutting means 19 is provided with a fine tuning knob 191 in the Y-axis direction for causing the precision adjustment of a plurality of blades 192, and on a rack 193 is defined with a rotatable motor 194 of which shaft coupled to a handle 195 of blades 192. By means of the rotation of motor 194, the cutting direction of blades 192 can be invert to 90 degree so as to across cut the original cell colonies. The blades 192 are respectively arranged in an array way to form a plurality of incisions, hence, as the blades 192 cut the original cell colonies at first time, the cell colonies (not shown) can be dissected into a plurality of small cell colonies (not shown). Referring next to FIG. 5, as the blades 192 further inverts to 90 degree to cut the dissected small cell colonies, said dissected small cell colonies will be divided into a plurality of array cell masses.

Referring to FIGS. 6-7, the transplanting means 20 comprises a pneumatic barrel 202 fixed to an elongated plate 201, at the lower end of pneumatic barrel 202 is provided with a bent capture needle 203 for capturing the dissected cell masses, thus enabling the capture needle 203 to capture and pickedly place the dissected cell masses to the media boards 17 of substance, as the transplanting means 20 moves downwardly. Thereafter, said cell masses will be releasably discharged in such a manner that the dissected cell masses can be respectively transplanted onto a plurality of media boards of subculture. Referring to the FIG. 8, a protrusive tip 204 is formed at the lower end of capture needle 203 for capturing and separating the dissected small cell masses from one another.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. A cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus comprising: a base; a feeding mechanism having at least three axis feeding means being disposed onto the base; a holder for receiving a plurality of media boards being mounted onto the base; a cutting means provided with a plurality of blades being fixed onto the base for causing a relative motion to the holder; a transplanting means defined with a bent capture needle being arranged onto the base for causing a relative motion to the holder as well.
 2. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder is designed to a moveable holder and can be couplingly driven by a plurality of axis feeding means.
 3. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder is used to receive a plurality of loading trays, and on the loading trays are defined with a plurality of media boards of cell colonies and subculture.
 4. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting means is couplingly driven by a plurality of axis feeding means, and can cause a relative motion to the holder.
 5. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blades of cutting means are driven to invert to 90 degree by the rotation of a motor so as to across cut the original cell colonies.
 6. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blades of cutting means are arranged in an array way.
 7. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capture needle of transplanting means is coupled to a pneumatic barrel for capturing and releasably discharging the dissected small cell masses.
 8. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a protrusive tip is formed at the lower end of capture needle for capturing and separating the dissected small cell masses from one another.
 9. A cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus comprising: a base; a feeding mechanism having at least three axis feeding means being disposed onto the base; a holder for receiving a plurality of media boards being mounted onto the base; a cutting means provided with a plurality of blades being fixed onto the base for causing a relative motion to the holder; a transplanting means defined with a bent capture needle being arranged onto the base for causing a relative motion to the holder as well; a CCD image capture means for capturing the images of original cell colonies being disposed onto the base, and by using the operational analysis of controller, the cutting means will be controlled to accurately dissect the original cell colonies.
 10. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the holder is designed to a moveable holder and can be couplingly driven by a plurality of axis feeding means.
 11. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the holder is used to receive a plurality of loading trays, and on the loading trays are defined with a plurality of media boards of cell colonies and subculture.
 12. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cutting means is couplingly driven by a plurality of axis feeding means, and can cause a relative motion to the holder.
 13. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the blades of cutting means are driven to invert to 90 degree by the rotation of a motor so as to across cut the original cell colonies.
 14. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the blades of cutting means are arranged in an array way.
 15. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the capture needle of transplanting means is coupled to a pneumatic barrel for capturing and releasably discharging the dissected small cell masses.
 16. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a protrusive tip is formed at the lower end of capture needle for capturing and separating the dissected small cell masses from one another.
 17. The cell colonies dissecting and transplanting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a platform having the CCD image capturing means therebottom is disposed onto the base for capturing the images of original cell colonies on the holder. 